Internet spooked as CIA joins Twitter, Facebook

A man crosses the Central Intelligence Agency logo in the lobby of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on August 14, 2008.

Surprise! The CIA is on Twitter and Facebook.

Wait, you mean the intelligence agency hasn’t already been on either? The CIA itself is having a little fun with its first tweet Friday, in apparent anticipation of a little skepticism from the Twitterverse.

“By expanding to these platforms, CIA will be able to more directly engage with the public and provide information on CIA’s mission, history, and other developments,” said CIA Director John Brennan. “We have important insights to share, and we want to make sure that unclassified information about the Agency is more accessible to the American public that we serve, consistent with our national security mission.”

And here’s some near-instant reaction. Some people are spooked; others merely amused.

You’ve got to give the CIA credit for creativity. Here’s the FBI’s first tweet, from back in 2008.

And the ATF’s was as straightforward as they come.

The CIA has tweeted exactly once and had nearly 58,000 followers less than an hour after its first tweet was sent.

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